New Funding Jumpstarts HRRCA Activities

Jakarta, September 27 – The Human Rights Resource Centre for ASEAN (HRRCA) has received three new funding commitments from the United States Government, the Embassy of Switzerland to Indonesia, and the MacArthur Foundation, which will be used to carry out the HRRCA's mission to provide research, education, and training on human rights issues in the ASEAN region.

The US Government-sponsored ASEAN-US Technical Assistance and Training Facility announced today that it will support the HRRCA’s first research program on rule-of-law, as well as its official launch, which will be held in Jakarta on October 19. Senior officials from Indonesia, ASEAN, the United States and the Embassy of Switzerland are scheduled to attend.

"The establishment of the Human Rights Resource Center for ASEAN is a potent demonstration of the important role civil society can and should play in regional policymaking. One of ASEAN's objectives is the creation of a people-centered community in Southeast Asia, and we are proud to support this initiative, which has been driven by Indonesian and regional civil society," said United States Ambassador to Indonesia, Scot Marciel.

The Embassy of Switzerland to Indonesia announced a grant to the Centre to support its first research activity on the rule of law for human rights. This study will examine the interconnected relationship between rule of law and human rights in ASEAN and provide a basis for the development of regional training and capacity building human rights programs.

“Switzerland welcomes the opportunity to support the HRRCA activities in order to further strengthen the important role of the regional civil society to promote human rights in South East Asia,” said Swiss Ambassador to Indonesia, Heinz Walker-Nederkoorn.

The HRRCA also confirmed a grant from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to support the core operations of the HRRCA. These funds will enable the Centre to more effectively design and implement programs to promote and protect human rights in ASEAN.

“It is gratifying to see the work of the Human Rights Resource Centre for ASEAN being supported by governments and organizations around the world. This is a recognition of the importance of promoting and protecting human rights in the region,” said Marzuki Darusman, the Founding Chairman and Director of the Centre.

HRRCA’s work aims to complement and support the work of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and provide a strong regional focus on human rights research, capacity building, training and teaching.

The HRRCA encompasses a network of partner and affiliated an institution that taps into the region’s rich academic research community. Current partner institutions include the University of Indonesia, Ateneo University School of Law (Philippines), the University of Malaya (Malaysia), and the Law School of the National University of Singapore. The Islamic University of Indonesia, which has a strong interest in human rights education, is the HRRCA’s first affiliate institution. The HRRCA offices are located at the Depok Campus of the University of Indonesia.

Through collaboration with these partner and affiliated university-based institutions across ASEAN, the HRRCA’s research, training, and capacity building projects will contribute to the development of human rights throughout the region.

For background and more information please call Rully Sandra, +62-815-912-7075 or email at rullysandra@gmail.com; www.hrrca.org